Explaining away the book of mormon witnesses fairmormon. The three witnesses of the book of mormon were oliver cowdery, david whitmer, and martin harris. Behold, i say unto you, that you must rely upon my word, which if you do with full purpose of heart, you shall have a view of the plates, and also of the breastplate, the sword of laban, the urim and thummim, which were given to the brother of jared upon the mount, when he talked with the lord face to face3 and after that you have obtained. Attacks against the book of mormon have experienced a kind of mission creep since its publication in 1830. In this carefully researched, thoughtprovoking book, dr. In 1841 the mormons published a poem which stated or book of mormon not his word, because denied by oliver. Oliver cowdery was excommunicated from the mormon church and joined the methodist church. Be it known unto all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, unto whom this work shall come, that we, through the grace of god the father, and our lord jesus christ, have seen the plates which contain this record, which is a record of the people of nephi, and also of the lamanites, their brethren, and also of the people of jared, which came. The three witnesses is the collective name for three men connected with the early latter day. Their written testimony of three witnesses has been included in all of the almost 100 million copies of the book of mormon the church has published since 1830.
The witnesses to the book of mormon are blatantly not credible. The three and eight witnesses to the book of mormon. Three witnesses mormonism, the mormon church, beliefs. The case against the 3 witnesses of the book of mormon. The witnesses of the book of mormon by preston nibley. The case against the 3 witnesses of the book of mormon duration. Jun 20, 2019 the book of mormon prophesies that god would call special witnesses to testify to its truth. Three witnesses of the book of mormon department of. The three witnesses, unlike the eight witnesses, were shown the plates by. Richard lloyd anderson presents evidence from original sources on each of the eleven witnesses and concludes. Critics began by labeling the book bungling and stupid, joe smith a perfect ignoramus, and they claimed any blunderhead, with the bible at his side, might have written it. Three witnesses oliver cowdery, david whitmer, and martin harris declared an angel of god appeared to them and showed them the book of mormon plates and they heard the voice of the lord pronounce that.
From my experience, bigfoot and mary witnesses are similar. Richard lloyd anderson, did oliver cowdery, one of the three special book of mormon witnesses, express doubt about his testimony. And joseph iii said david whitmer stood up to his full height which was nearly. And every one of these witnesses of the book of mormon whether the three or. The following is their testimony that can be found in the first pages of the book of mormon. Did the book of mormon witnesses really see what they.
Examines the authenticity of the book of mormon in light of the testimonies of the eight witnesses and the three witnesses, noting that although some left the church, none ever denied that they had seen the. Richard lloyd anderson, personal writings of the book of mormon witnesses, in book of mormon authorship revisited. This remarkable statement was in fulfillment of prophecy in the book of mormon itself, given by nephi, the son of lehi. And testimonies almost always wilt under crossexamination or sustained questioning. The book of mormon prophesies that god would call special witnesses to testify to its truth. Testimony of three witnesses, late june 1829, page 589. As church membership mushroomed, and it became clear the book of mormon is pretty. The world was not left with joseph smiths testimony alone. Three witnesses oliver cowdery, david whitmer, and martin harris declared an angel of god appeared to them and showed them the book of mormon plates and they heard the voice of the lord pronounce. The book of mormon contains two sets of joint statements written by joseph smith for those who claimed to have seen the gold plates. The book of mormon witnesses are a group of contemporaries of joseph smith who claimed to have seen the golden plates from which smith translated the book of mormon. Harmon, made in about 1885, cited in vogel, emd, 2. The statement of the 3 witnesses for the book of mormon was a single statement signed by all three men. Investigating the book of mormon witnesses kindle edition by anderson, richard lloyd.
Beginning with the first edition of 1830, the book of mormon has generally contained two sets of testimoniesthe testimony of three witnesses and the testimony of eight witnesses. Critics have long tried to dismiss or destroy the witnesses witness. Book of mormon 1830three witnesses wikisource, the. Today chris and clay join me again for a roundtable discussion about the eleven witnesses to the book of mormon. We can compare the witnesses for the book of mormon to the witnesses of manuscript found. The three witnesses monument photo courtesy steve mortensen. It is inconclusive if the witnesses actually saw plates or if they only claimed to see them. Journal of discourses, vol 7, page 164, 1859, brigham young. Statements clearly traced to the witnesses verify the testimonies printed in the book of mormon. Book of mormon the testimony of three witnesses awitness4jesuschrist michael corbett. This page links to subpages which discuss various attacks. Dec 05, 2009 book of mormon the testimony of three witnesses awitness4jesuschrist michael corbett.
The overall secular case for the book of mormon is a cumulative one. Beginning with the first edition of 1830, the book of mormon has generally contained two sets of testimonies the testimony of three witnesses and the testimony of eight witnesses. An important episode associated with the translation and coming forth of the book of mormon was the experience of two sets of witnesseseleven totalwho, among other things, claimed to have actually seen the gold plates, which were delivered by the angel moroni to joseph smith. Jun 24, 2019 the names of oliver cowdery, david whitmer, and martin harris are familiar to most of us, notably because of their role as witnesses to the reality of the book of mormon. This is a nice quickshot at some of the evidence for the authenticity of the book of mormon, as well as some brief apologetic history of the 3 witnesses of said book. Bofm witnesses presentation provides a spiritual and temporal witness of the realities of the book of mormon. Three witnesses oliver cowdery, david whitmer, and martin harris declared an angel of god appeared to them and showed them the book of mormon plates. The three witnesses, utah genealogical and historical magazine, october 1927october 1929, vol. The testimony of the eight witnesses gospel doctrine. After departing mormonism, he later declared, if you believe my testimony to the book of mormon. To their dying days, these witnesses defended their testimonies even in the face of cruel mobs, the ridicule of society, and betrayal by. Witnesses of the book of mormon church of jesus christ.
Richard lloyd anderson, testimonies of the three witnesses, provo, ut. Why were three key witnesses chosen to testify of the book. Three witnesses shall behold it, by the power of god, besides him to whom the book shall be delivered. The three are part of twelve book of mormon witnesses, who also include smith and the eight witnesses. Oct 08, 2019 the witnesses to the book of mormon are blatantly not credible. Brigham young said, some of the witnesses of the book of mormon, who handled the plates and conversed with the angels of god, were afterwards left to doubt and to disbelieve that they had ever seen an angel. The book of mormon and the three witnesses book of. Those who would defend traditional beliefs about mormon origins often turn to the testimonies of 11 men. Oxford university press, 2003, 4142, emphasis added. That we, through the grace of god the father, and our lord jesus christ, have seen the plates which contain this record, which is a record of the people of nephi, and also of the lamanites, their brethren, and also of. Why were three key witnesses chosen to testify of the book of. The three witnesses were oliver cowdery, martin harris, and david whitmer, whose joint testimony, in conjunction with a.
Russell, a member of the community of christ and professor of history of the lds movement at graceland university, strongly disagrees. Joseph smith, the three witnesses, and the eight witnesses are a twelveman jury in affirming the reality of the gold plates and the book of mormon. The testimony of the eight witnesses was first published at the end of the 1830 edition of the book of mormon and has been printed in nearly every edition since, although most subsequent editions moved the statement to the front of the book and included minor grammatical corrections. Most of the evidence for such an argument is based on two statements made by martin harris. Book of mormon witnesses all later denied its truthfulness. The three witnesses is the collective name for three men connected with the early latter day saint movement who stated that an angel had shown them the golden plates from which joseph smith, jr.
Since its publication in 1830, the book of mormon has been accompanied by the testimony of three witnesses claiming to have seen the an angel with the plates and the testimony of eight witnesses. Oct 18, 2018 however, we would be misguided if we were to conclude that the witnesses testimonies establish nothing of pivotal importance. However, we would be misguided if we were to conclude that the witnesses testimonies establish nothing of pivotal importance. A passage in the book of mormon similarly indicated that the testimony of the witnesses and the book of mormon would come forth at the same time. Book of mormon the testimony of three witnesses youtube.
That we, through the grace of god the father, and our lord jesus. We also talk about the testimony of the three witnesses, three men who were allowed to see an angel and the physical gold. The book of mormon relies not only on the record of an ancient people, but also on the separate testimonies of three and eight witnesses published in the back of the books original 1830 edition and in the front of its more recent editions. Evaluating the book of mormon witnesses religious studies. Historical evidence has led many people to question the authenticity of the book of mormon and the credibility of joseph smiths story. It is short, and with the exception of some new things that the author has discovered, he spends a relatively short time on many of the evidences. Three witnesses monument mormon historic sites foundation. The mission of byutv is to create purposeful, engaging viewing and listening experiences that entertain, inspire, uplift, and improve families and communities. From changing their stories to denying their faith to getting excommunicated and much more, join me in this video as we talk through. The names of oliver cowdery, david whitmer, and martin harris are familiar to most of us, notably because of their role as witnesses to the reality of the book of. Book of the mormon intro witnesses moroni jarom omni enos alma words of mormon mosiah mormon ether 3 nephi 4 nephi 1 nephi 2 s book of mormon punch card. The testimony of three witnesses be it known unto all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, unto whom this work shall come. The first edition of the book of mormon featured two testimonials. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading investigating the book of mormon witnesses.
The case against the 3 witnesses of the book of mormon youtube. Jan 27, 2017 the solemn testimony of the three witnesses has appeared in every edition of the book of mormon since 1830. Investigating the book of mormon witnesses deseret book. Foundation for ancient research and mormon studies, 1994. The three men chosen as witnesses of the book of mormon were oliver cowdery, david whitmer, and martin harris.
The three witnesses receive their witness gospel doctrine. Evidences and witnesses of the book of mormon by daniel c. And not one of the witnesses ever retracted or denied their testimony, including the men who later left mormonism. The three witnesses, unlike the eight witnesses, were shown the plates by a heavenly messenger, not joseph smith. Three witnesses the three witnesses are david whitmer, oliver cowdery, and martin harris, who mortgaged his farm to finance the first printing of the book of mormon. Each will reconnect us with the history, the claims and counterclaims, and ultimately the stalwart consistency of each witness testimony. Harper, the eleven witnesses, in the coming forth of the book of mormon. When joseph smith first obtained the gold plates, he was told to show them to no one. Like the three witnesses, the book of mormon prophecies that there will be others which will testify of this work, and there is none other which shall view it, save it be a few according to the will of god, to bear testimony of his word unto the children of men. The solemn testimony of the three witnesses has appeared in every edition of the book of mormon since 1830. Did the eleven witnesses actually see the gold plates. Oliver cowdery, martin harris, and david whitmer were appointed to be three special witnesses of the book of mormon in june 1829.
These divinely appointed witnesses help the book of mormon fulfill one of its primary purposesto convince the world that jesus is the christ, the eternal god. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Witnesses, produced by the interpreter foundation, consists of three main segments working together as a comprehensive project. Supposedly harris was once asked if he saw the plates with his naked eyes to. Anderson, in his faithpromoting book titled investigating the book of mormon witnesses, insists that readers must take the testimony of the eleven witnesses at face value. These men signed statements declaring the book of mormon was true, and that.
These elements are what provide such strong support for the book of mormon witnesses, the 3 and the 8. We talk at length about our assumptions that the three witnesses has a spiritual event, that the eight witnesses had a physical event, whether their experience was consistent, and how the institutional church may have expressed certainty about the boundaries and constructs. Hedges, john hilton iii, and kerry hull salt lake city and provo, ut. The witnesses were also told in a revelation that they should testify that ye have seen them even as my servant joseph smith jr. In the course of the work of translation, we ascertained that three special witnesses 1 were to be provided by the lord, to whom he would grant that they should see the plates from which this work the book of mormon should be translated. David whitmer, one of the book of mormon s three witnesses, said if you believe my testimony to the book of mormon. Testimony of three witnesses church of jesus christ. That we, through the grace of god the father, and our lord jesus christ, have seen the plates which contain this record. Here are some critics thoughts on that thanks to gary porter and craig criddle for these. In studying the history of joseph smith and the the church of jesus christ of latterday saints, referred to as the mormons, we emphasize joseph smiths own testimony of the book of mormon, that book of additional scripture that is another testament of jesus christ. Book of mormon witnesses the encyclopedia of mormonism. Each of these specific menoliver cowdery, martin harris, and david whitmersacrificed much to help with the translation and publication of the book of mormon, and its likely this is a significant part of why they were chosen as witnesses. Evaluating the book of mormon witnesses book of mormon. That we, through the grace of god the father, and our lord jesus christ, have seen the plates which contain this record, which is a record of the people of nephi, and also of the lamanites, their brethren, and also of the people of jared, who came from the tower of which hath been spoken.
Did the book of mormon witnesses really see what they claimed. Martin harris among the favorite antimormon charges is that the three witnesses only imagined that they saw the book of mormon plates. Witnesses film an interpreter foundation production. The author, richard lloyd anderson, gives many historical details about the statements of such critics and the sources and background of their statements. Check out the viewpoint on mormonism podcast series 15 witnesses to the book of mormon part 1 part 2 part 3 part 4 february 1518, 2016 joseph smith claimed that in 1823 he was visited by an angel named moroni and that this angel told him that there was a book deposited, written upon gold plates, giving an account of the former inhabitants of this continent, and the.
Three witnesses oliver cowdery, david whitmer, and martin harris declared an angel of god appeared to them and showed them the book of mormon plates and they heard the voice of the lord pronounce that joseph smiths translation had been accomplished. No single piece of evidence demonstrates everything, by itself, that believers in the book of mormon affirm. The names of oliver cowdery, david whitmer, and martin harris are familiar to most of us, notably because of their role as witnesses to the reality of the book of mormon. Be it known unto all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, unto whom this work shall come. Investigating the book of mormon witnesses kindle edition. For the story of the three witnesses we will turn to josephs record in history of the church. The american scripture that launched a new world religion new york. That we, through the grace of god the father, and our lord jesus christ, have seen the plates which contain this. For nearly 200 years, skeptics and critics have been trying to explain away what many book of mormon witnesses statedthat they had seen angels and hefted golden metal plates containing ancient inscriptions. Many critics of the book of mormon witnesses say that the witnesses of the book of mormon denied their written testimonies in statements to different people over the years. Mormon cries repentance unto the nephitesthey gain a great victory and glory in their own strengthmormon refuses to lead them, and his prayers for them are without faiththe book of mormon invites the twelve tribes of israel to believe the gospel. Deseret book and religious studies center, brigham young university, 2015, 1172. Our vision is to be the family entertainment brand that young people want, parents trust, and families enjoy together. Additional information on the individual witnesses and their statements are available in the maxwell institutes digital collection.